Composition for preventing textile materials from becoming electrically charged



CUMPOSITION FOR PREVENTING TEXTILE MA- TERIALS FROM BECOMING ELECTRICALLY CHARGED Hermann Lange, Dusseldorf-Derendorf, and Konrad Henkel, Dusseldorf, Germany, assiguors to Bohme Fettchemie G. 111. b. H., Dusseldorf, Germany -No Drawing. Application February 17, 1954,

Serial No. 411,012

Claims priority, application Germany March 13, 1953 5 Claims. (Cl. 252-8.7)

The present invention relates to a process for preventing textile materials from becoming electrically charged.

It is known that electrical charges develop in textile materials during the processing thereof. This is particularly true for materials made from cellulose acetate, cellulose ethers, polycondensation products, as for instance polyesters, polyamides and the like; furthermore, from vinyl polymers, such as polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinyl acetates, and the like, or finally, from polymers derived from acrylic acid, such as acrylic acid esters, acrylic acid nitrile, and so forth. To a certain extent, the above mentioned inconvenience also applies to nitrogen-containing natural fibers, such as wool or silk. By becoming electrically charged, these materials are difiicult to handle during their mechanical processing. For instance, in the carding, stretching and spinning of the fibers, single fibers are sometimes separated; in other cases, the goods to be spun wind themselves up on rotating machine parts to such an extent that further work is made almost impossible. Fabrics and knitted goods made from such fibers are hard to process and to wrap. Finished pieces of wearing apparel will adhere in undesirable manner to each other, or, in other cases, they will repel each other.

It has now been discovered that the disturbing electrical charges can be avoided when the textile materials are treated in the course of their production, during the finishing operations, or While they are in use, with agents consisting on the one hand of polyoxide waxes or polyoxide wax derivatives, and on the other hand of sulfonated fatty acid esters or sulfonated fatty acids, respectively.

By such treatment, the electrical charge will either not develop at all, or will be so much lower that there will be no difficulties in the further processing of the textiles or in their use.

The result above mentioned will only be obtained by using the combination of agents stated. The single components have no noticeable anti-static effect.

By polyalkylene oxide waxes, we understand primarily polyethylene oxides waxes with a molecular weight over 2000, preferably from 5000 to 10,000; however, polymers of other alkylene oxides are also Within the scope of the present invention.

The polyethylene oxide wax derivatives to be used are obtained, for instance by reacting ethylene oxide and the like in the presence of a catalyst with aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic, alkylaromatic, or cycloaliphaticaromatic compounds containing hydroxyl-, carboxylic-, mercapto, amino-, carboxy-, amido-, or sulfamido-groups, until the necessary stage of condensation or the appropriate molecular size of the condensation product is reached.

As starting components, We mention for instance: butylalcohol, octylalcohol, dodecylalcohol, octylmercaptan, dodecylamine, cyclohexylalcohol, cyclohexylamine, naphthene alcohols, benzylalcohol, tetrahydronaphthols, a

" ited States Patent 0 F 2,790,764 Patented Apr. 30, 1957 first-run fatty acid mixture of a chain length C7-Ca, naphthenic acids, oleic acid, lauric acid amide, alkylbenzene sulfo acid amides, etc.

We may also obtain ethers and esters of polyoxide alkylene waxes by reacting the same with hydroxyl compounds or carboxylic acids of the above-mentioned type with ether or ester formation.

By sulfonated fatty acid esters or sulfonated fatty acids, we understand the reaction products of sulfuric acid with unsaturated and/ or hydroxyl-containing, higher molecular fatty acid esters or fatty acids, whichare neutralized with inorganic or organic bases; such compounds are, for instance Turkey red oil, sulfonated ricinoleic acid ester, sulfonated olein, sulfonated ric-- inoleic acid, and the like.

The anti-static agents according to this invention may impart to the fibers other favorable properties whichimprove their processing and use. They may, for instance, lubricate the fibers so that they have an increased gliding capacity in spinning. The novel agents may be combined with known treating preparations, such as the conventional lubricants, for instance mineral, animal, vegetable oils, fats and Waxes. As compared to such additives, the agents according to the invention act at the same time as emulsifying agents.

The amount of the starting components, from which the agents according to the invention may be obtained,

will vary, but in general the sulfonation products are used in excess.

For use, the anti-static agents are either compounded in concentrated oily or paste form, or in the form of aqueous or organic solutions. This depends on the practical requirements in each case. Oily solutions are, for instance, used in processing fibers, threads, skeins, ribbons, and so on, on textile machines. Aqueous solutions or solutions in organic solvents are used in the finishing of textiles or in a subsequent impregnation during use. The latter may also be combined with a conventional cleaning process.

The invention will now be described in a number of examples, but it should be understood that these are given by way of illustration and not of limitation and that many modifications in the details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

(Where not otherwise stated, the bath is an oily medium.)

Example 1 Raw cut polyamide fibers are washed free of monomers and thereafter treated in a bath containing 1% polyethylene oxide wax of a molecular weight of about 9000 and 3% ricinoleic sulfonate. They are squeezed free of solution and dried. After having undergone this treatment, they can be easily separated and spun.

Example 2 By fusing together 15 parts of polyethylene oxide wax and 7 parts of sulfonated castor oil, a viscous oil is obtained which may be used as such, or after dilution with Water, for the anti-static impregnation of textile threads in the knitting or Weaving industries. (Parts are by weight.)

Example 3 A bath is prepared by dissolving 1% polyethylene oxide wax and 5% Turkey red oil. Acetate silk fabric is impregnated in this bath at a temperature of about 30 C. After having thus treated the goods for about /2 hour, the fabric is squeezed and dried. It exhibits a perfect anti-static impregnation.

Example 4 An aqueous bath is prepared by dissolving 1% polyethylene oxide wax, 7.5% Turkey red oil and 7.5% of a mixture of 52 parts by weight of spindle oil, 45 parts by weight of Turkey red oil and 10 parts by weight of olcic acid partly neutralized by ammonia, stirring all the ingredients until complete solution has occurred. This bath is used for the treatment of webs of fabric made of polyarnide fibers or acetate rayon; after treatment, the fabrics are squeezed and dried. They have a pleasant, soft touch and do not exhibit electrostatic charge during use.

Example 5 A bathv is prepared as in Example 3, with the difference that instead of polyethylene oxide Wax, a stearic acid ester of said wax is used. In this case, too, the impregnation of textiles consisting of cellulose acetate, polyamide fibers, or natural silk will result in imparting anti-static properties.

Example 6 Summer dresses and skirts made of polyamide fibers are treated, after having been worn, in a washing solution containing 0.3% alkylsulfuric acid sodium (alkyl radicals C12-C1a). An aqueous rinsingsolution is made with addition of 1% polyoxide Wax and 3% Turkey red oil. The laundering process is carried out as usual. The textiles are completely clean and exhibit a noticeable anti-static effect.

We claim:

1. Antistatic composition especially adapted for the treatment of textile materials holding a high static charge, especially polyamide and acetate materials consisting of a combination of a minor proportion of polyethylene oxide waxes having a molecular weight from MOO-10,000, with a major proportion of a member selected from the group consisting of sulfonated fatty acids and sulfonaled fatty acid esters, the ratio of major to minor proportion not exceeding about 10:1.

I 2. The antistatic composition set forth in claim 1 comprising said polyethylene wax products and said sulfonated products in the ratio of 1:3.

3. The antistatic composition according to claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide wax is combined with Turkey red oil.

4. The antistatic composition according to claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide wax is combined with the neutral sulfonation product of ricinoleic acid.

5. The antistatic composition according to claim I. wherein the polyethylene oxide wax is combined with the neutral sulfonation product of ricinoleic acid ester.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,578 Schoeller et a1. Aug. 21, 1934 2,180,436 Sitzler Nov. 21, 1939 2,232,565 Segessemann Feb. 18, 1941 2,325,489 Eaton July 27, 1943 2,393,863 Myers Jan. 29, 194 2,461,043 Eisen Feb. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 526,960 Great Britain Sept. 30, 1940 

1. ANTISTATIC COMPOSITION ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIAL HOLDING A HIGH STATIC CHARGE, ESPECIALLY POLYAMIDE AND ACETATE MATERIALS CONSISTING OF A COMBINATION OF A MINOR PROPORTION OF POLYETHYLENE OXIDE WAXES HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT FROM 2000-10,000, WITH A MAJOR PROPORTION OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFONATED FATTY ACIDS AND SULFONATED FATTY ACID ESTERS, THE RATIO OF MAJOR TO MINOR PROPORTION NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 10:1. 